Skeleton barge.



I. F. DUNDON.

SKELETON BARGE.

APPLICATION I'ILBD JUNE 21, 1907.

918,516. Patented Apr.20, 1909.

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- Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES."

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P.F.-DUNDON.

SKELETON BARGE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 21, 1907.

9 1 8,5 1 6, Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

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7 -F {7 If. 40*: /8 8r 5 z 4 -46 159 5 V1 I 9 5 2 WITNESSES: IIVVEIVTOR @0610 3mm 1 f v v BY W PM PATRICK F. DUNDON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SKELETON BARGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 21, 1907.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Serial No. 380,095.

fication.

My invention relates to an improvement in skeleton barges for transporting by water such cargoes as lumber, piles, logs or other floatable material, which would not sustain damage or injury by contact with water.

In water transportation, the chief expense and inconvenience arises from sustention or buoyancy of the cargo by displacement, because of the water ti 'ht construction required, and the diihcu ty of handling the cargo, especially lumber, by reason of its inclosure in a vessels hull or within bulwarks. There is also in the case of inclosed vessels the impediment of a high free board above the water line exposed to storm action, and at all times danger of sinking by injury to the hull of the vessel.

The objects of my invention are to simplify and cheapen the cost of water transportation of lumber or like commodities, which are not injured by immersion in water, to eliminate the element of buoyant sustention of the cargo and the danger of sinking, also to dispose the cargo below the plane of wave ac tion at sea, and to further facilitate in loading and unloading cargoes as will hereinafter ap ear.

ith the foregoing objects in view, my invention consists in what may be termed an uncovered or uninclosed barge or raft, and frame work constructed in the form of a skeleton barge, provided with a bow to avoid in part resistance in moving through the water, adapted to be towed by ower-driven vessels, or impelled by sail if esired when circumstances permit, the several parts being securely and in a greater or less degree, flexibly, connected with vertical members correspondin to bulk-heads and means to secure and hold timber or other cargo against wave action in the open sea or during transportation.

My invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter de scribed and pointed out in the claims.

Inthe accompanying drawings:Figure1 securely hold them in contact at is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3

is a rear end view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View in plan, taken from one of the rear corners. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

This barge may be built of any desired dimensions and will be constructed of timbers of suitable sizes and dimensions according to the load it is designed to carry, and will consist of a suitable number of keelsons 1, 1 or fore 'and aft beams which will form the foundation, and a suitable number of thwartship beams 2, 2, placed at proper distances apart, the thwartship beams and the fore and aft keelsons will be slightly gained together at all junctions and bound together by stirrups 3 of round iron having screws 4 on their ends. These stirrups will be placed under the keel timbers and the ends will come above the top of the thwartship beams to a sufiicient height to allow an iron plate 5 corresponding in size and in space to fit over the ends of the stirrups. The nuts 7, 7, on the ends of" the stirrups will take their bearing on these plates, and by screwing them up tight the two timbers will be drawn tight and securely together. These stirrups, plates and nuts will be placed at every junction of the keel timbers and the thwartshi beams. All thwartship beams must be dou le, that is, at each place where it is decided to place thwartshi beams, there will be two such beams, p aced a pro or distance apart to leave suflicient space between them to allow upright posts 8, at the outer ends to be placed between them. On the inside of the thwartship beams there will be bolted a plate 9 of iron or steel. Through the plates there will be a suitable hole to admit a large bolt 11 upon which the upright post can swivel in 01' out to bcregulated, and bind the material loaded. At suitable spaces on the upright posts there will be bands 12, having eyes and oops to which wire rope braces 13 may be attached for bracing the upright posts together both thwartshipwise and diagonally. If it should be found advantageous, turnbuckles (not shown) may be used in connection with these braces for tightening them.

At the rear or stern end of the raft, there will be a heavy timber 14 placed thwartshipwise and having a junction with the ends of all the fore and aft keelsons and fastened to them by angle plates 15 which will have bolts 16 through them and through each timber to roper e U1 places. In this timber there will shaped irons 17 placed in holes bored for that purpose, and plates 18 of heavy iron or steel aving holes of proper size and properly spaced placed against the wood and the ends of the U-shaped irons being threaded, nuts 19 will be screwed 011 them having a bearing on the plate above described. To these U- shaped irons there will be a shackle 20 and wire rope 21 connected to each. These lines will extend forward and be of suflicient length to reach a proper distance beyond the bow of the raft and they both will be brought together and connected by a shackle (not shown) to which a tow line (not shown) may be attached for towing the raft.

At such places as the tow bridles described may come in heavy contact with the wood work of the raft, proper chafing gear (not shown) may be applied to prevent damage to the wood-work of the raft while towing. For the purpose of avoiding resistance to towing as much as possible, a pointed bow 23 will be formed by allowing the center keel timber to extend a proper distance beyond the forward line of the main body of the raft and all the others to extend sufficiently also so that they may cut off on an angular line from the forward upright posts to the center lgeel timber and produce lines for a suitable From each of the keel timbers where cut ofi, there will be a vertical post 24, fastened and attached to the keel timber by suitable bolts. Placed back of these posts there will be backing timbers 27 extending from the bow post to the most forward of the upright side posts and fastened to both the bow post and the side uprights by angle plates and bolts. On the outside of the verticalbowposts there will be placed planking 29 which will be fas tened to the bow posts by U-shaped straps 30, which will bind bars of iron 31 vertically across the planks and their ends having screws will pass through the lanks and extend inside far enough to a ow a plate 32 and nuts 33, to be screwed onto them and thereby bind the planking tightly to the posts. Posts 40, 10 are erected at the stern as shown in the several forms of the drawings, and planking 39, 39 similar to planking 29 is secured horizontally in front of said posts, as shown in Fig. 3. On all keel timbers and thwartship beams where joints come, the timbers will be butted and secured together by placing a plank of suitable thickness at each side and securely bolting these planks through the timbers.

It is the intention that this raft shall be taken apart at the end of each trip after it is unloaded, and therefore it will be entirely bolted together in its construction with this end in view. In loading the raft, the spaces between the thwartshi beams should be first filled to a height slight y above the top of the thwartship beams, and then the lumber placed fore and aft until reaching the first thwartship bracewhen a few layers should be again laid thwartship, and this plan be followed until the diagonal braces are reached. Then there should be a few layers placed diagonally and this alternating method followed until the loading is completed. Such a course will materially aid in causing the load to brace itself. Then the loading is completed, if the thwartship rope braces provided and attached to the upright posts are not considered sufficient to properly and securely lash the load, further fastenings may be applied to make it thoroughly secure. The lumber should be loaded at the forward end in such a manner as to press against the bow planking to give it stiffness to resist the force of water from the outside, and at the same time allowing sufficient space for the tow lines for which also proper openings must be placed in the bows. 'lhe mast 35 indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 might be employed when the craft is to be impelled by wind power.

Various changes of construction may be applied without altering the general design.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. A skeleton barge comprising keelsons and athwartship beams gained together and stirrups embracing said parts where they cross one another.

2. A skeleton barge comprising keelsons, athwartship beams, U-shaped stirrups, diagonally embracing said beams where they cross, plates thereon and nuts for removably securing the plates on the stirrups whereby to form a rigid oint between said parts.

3. A skeleton barge comprising keelsons and athwartship beams secured together, heavy beams at the rear and angle irons connecting the rear ends of the keelsons to the heavy timbers.

4. A skeleton barge comprising keelsons and athwartship beams secured together, heavy beams at the rear, and angle irons connecting the rear ends of the keelsons to the heavy timbers, said athwartship beams arranged in pairs.

5. A skeleton barge comprising keelsons, heavy timber secured transversely to the rear ends of the keelsons, athwartship beams secured to the keelsons, U-shaped irons secured to said stern timber and cables connected with said irons and extending forwardly beyond the bow of the barge.

6. A skeleton barge comprising keelsons, athwartship beams, planked bow and rear end, and hinged posts at the sides.

7. A skeleton barge comprising keelsons, a heavy timber secured to the rear end, bow timbers erected at their forward ends, athwartship beams secured to the keelsons, posts erected at the rear, sides and bow of the barge and flexible braces connecting the side I the barge and planking secured. to the bow posts transversely and longitudinally with posts.

the barge. In testimony whereof I have signed my 8. A skeleton barge com rising keelsons, I name to this specification in the presence of 5 a hebavy timber gecuredfio t ef rear end, bow two subscribing Witnesses.

tim ers erecte at t eir orwarc ends, 1

athwartship beams secured to the keelsons, PAI RHJK DUNDON' posts erected at the rear, sides and bow of \Vitnesses:

the barge, flexible braces connecting the side I A. M. HOLLAND, 10 posts transversely and longitudinally with THOS. F. EcoLEs. 

